Stephen Robinson spoke to the broadcast media on Friday, ahead of the clash with Aberdeen at Fir Park.
The Motherwell boss talked about the international break, Declan Gallagher’s form and the challenge Aberdeen will pose.
On the international break
“I think that it was seven or eight [players] away, which is hard to work with at times.
“But we’ve got so many good young players at the club. It gives them a chance to be up with the first team and you know, you’re starting to get to know the boys that are 15 and 16 and that are in on day release from school as well.
“And they are training with people like Peter Hartley, you know, so it’s real experience for them. So, yeah, yu can’t do loads of tactical work, but you can certainly bring the club together.”
On Declan Gallagher’s call-up for Scotland
“Really pleased for him. I think he thoroughly deserved it.
“He’s been a real standout performer for us this season and he’s worked very very hard. You know, he’s come in and he’s improved and I think he’s got better and better with each game.
“He’s taken more and more responsibility and he’s becoming a complete player at our level so he’s got his just rewards.
“He didn’t get game time, but that’s just the start. You know, he’s got his call-up. And what he has to do is keep working harder, keep improving and he will be on Steve’s radar.
On the form so far
“I think we’ve got a driven squad of players. We are very young and very much a work in progress.
“We won’t get too carried away with what we’ve done. It’s eight games into the season.
“We’ve started well. I think we can continue to improve, you know, if we can put a full 90 minutes of the quality that we seen against St Mirren, we will be a decent side. But we are yet to do that, so we’re still trying to achieve that.
“I think Aberdeen are a very good side. They’ve got a very good coaching staff in Derek and Tony as well.
“It’s third versus fourth at the moment. It’s only eight games as I said, the league table doesn’t matter too much at the moment, but it’s a test for us. A real test for us.
“We’ve been very good lately and you know, we’ll have the rise to that occasion again and match the physical element Aberdeen bring with it as well, and then try and take the game to them.
“I don’t think it’s just Aberdeen we have to beat. A win for us at this stage of the season, and to stay up in the top regions of the league, is vitally important for us. But I won’t read too much into it all of a sudden we if we manage to beat Aberdeen and then say ‘we’re definitely going to finish third’.
“That’s not the way we look at it. We try and build each week, each game try and keep improving.”
On injuries in the camp
“We’ve got a couple of knocks and bruises, which is always a danger when you run with such a small squad that we have.
“Mark O’Hara and Jake Carroll both are maybe struggling a little bit for tomorrow. It may come again too soon for them. They picked up little niggles during the international break.
“Obviously Charles Dunne, David Turnbull, David Devine are the long-term injuries, and Liam Donnelly is suspended. So we’re down to the bare bones, so to speak, and everyone will be utilised in the squad tomorrow.
On competition for places
“I genuinely believe there’s still a lot more to come, especially from our forward players.
“I think probably for the first time this week, I could probably start both wide players if I chose to.
“Obviously James Scott playing in that area of the pitch scored a wonder goal the other week. So now I’ve got real competition.
“I think before that I could only start either Sherwin or Jermaine, because I didn’t think they could give me 90 minutes.
“Now I think we’re getting to that stage and we’ve used the international break really well to get to that stage. So we’ve got some difficult team selections now to come.”
